State of the Union: What’d you think? « Reform Immigration For America

State of the Union: What’d you think?

sotu

President Barack Obama just finished up his second State of the Union address. His comments on immigration were as follows:

One last point about education. Today, there are hundreds of thousands of students excelling in our schools who are not American citizens. Some are the children of undocumented workers, who had nothing to do with the actions of their parents. They grew up as Americans and pledge allegiance to our flag, and yet live every day with the threat of deportation. Others come here from abroad to study in our colleges and universities. But as soon as they obtain advanced degrees, we send them back home to compete against us. It makes no sense.

Now, I strongly believe that we should take on, once and for all, the issue of illegal immigration. I am prepared to work with Republicans and Democrats to protect our borders, enforce our laws and address the millions of undocumented workers who are now living in the shadows. I know that debate will be difficult and take time. But tonight, let’s agree to make that effort. And let’s stop expelling talented, responsible young people who can staff our research labs, start new businesses, and further enrich this nation.

What do you think? Are you inspired? Hopeful for action? Disappointed? We want to hear your thoughts. Leave them in the comments below.

And you can read the full transcript here.

One last point about education. Today, there are hundreds of thousands of students

excelling in our schools who are not American citizens. Some are the children of

undocumented workers, who had nothing to do with the actions of their parents. They

grew up as Americans and pledge allegiance to our flag, and yet live every day with the

threat of deportation. Others come here from abroad to study in our colleges and

universities. But as soon as they obtain advanced degrees, we send them back home to

compete against us. It makes no sense.

Now, I strongly believe that we should take on, once and for all, the issue of illegal

immigration. I am prepared to work with Republicans and Democrats to protect our

borders, enforce our laws and address the millions of undocumented workers who are

now living in the shadows. I know that debate will be difficult and take time. But

tonight, let’s agree to make that effort. And let’s stop expelling talented, responsible

young people who can staff our research labs, start new businesses, and further enrich

this nation.

Categories: comprehensive immigration reform, dream act

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RoyEKIllgore

The vast majority of illegal aliens are here to work and fill a pre-existing labor supply vacuum. The labor supply shortage is not temporary but endemic. As a practical matter wage competition will not increase lawful labor supply and the birthrate is not likely to change nor can business wait. A new immigrant worker program needs to be developed that pre-qualifies potential immigrants by providing security, criminal, and health clearances and placing them in availability pools by job classifications. Employers requiring immigrant labor should be taxed on their wages to pay for an educational program for immigrants in the English language and U.S. History and Customs, and employers should be reuired to provide healthcare insurance. Protections must be established to protect American workers and prevailing wage and benefit structures. The Worker Visa should be no more than 1 year but renewable upon proof of employment, no police record, a certificate of completion from the educational program, and no violation of immigration laws. After 3 years of renewal and continued education, the immigrant workers would be invited to become a legal resident alien with all attendant rights. No public benefits of any kind would be available for those here on immigrant worker visa’s. Those here illegally would be given 90 days to return home and re-enter properly and as a condition of their immediate return they would be required to identify all family members here illegally. Any public benefits now being received would be lost except education of their children, they would have to renew 5 years before being invited to become a legal resident alien, and they would have to pay a fine of $10,000 with a $25,000 family maximum payable over 10 years. We don’t have a temporary problem, it is endemic and the only alternative is to shrink the businesses that now currently have a percentage of illegal aliens. Any other solution than an adequate supply of lawful labor will either force US business abroad, end with an assault on ouir fundamental liberty particularly our alien right to the pursuit of happiness ie. federal verification to the right to put food on your table, clothes on your back and a roof over your head, more of the same which is going to create a ghetto society of illegal aliens and a black market, and very likely the loss of our entire way of life. A reformed and functionable immigration law will allow current laws concerning border security to function without the need of a police state mentality.The current immigration law is completely unworkable as 12 million illegals can attest.
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Jatlisi

Given the options of all of the presidential candidates, he is at least living in some resemblance of relality. I would LOVE to see him continue his crack down on the banks and overseas jobs. It is draining us beyond belief!
Jatlisi

He had done more than Bush and Clinton did! I, as a veteran am proof!
Jatlisi

Excellent State of the Union. Mitch Daniels comments are clearly puppeted.
t r u t h

FALSE HOPE FROM FALSE MESSIAH for 20 million people…
jerryboy

Entering the USA is illegal. They have committed a felony by entering the USA.They have already committed a crime.
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Amani

Good words, but 2 years passed, dream act got derailed, Arizona and others are doing what they are doing, families’ bonds are get damaged, and here are those words again! Thanks Mr. President.
Helen France

It is time to make this happen …
Mocha6

What he said is what we all know already. Now, like before we want actions…..make it happen. He can make it happen. So, now once again its time to ask him to act and act now. Good people, that do the right things are being taken apart from families and welling to pay and do whatever it takes to become legal. It’s time for a path way for all those good people. People that want, act and dreams of being apart and called an American. Let’s work together to make 2011, the year of hope and dreams come true.
t r u t h

FALSE HOPE for 20 million people
http://www.facebook.com/DreamAct2010 Richard Hartwell

The fact that President Obama brought the subject of immigration reform up in the State of the Union speech should give the Dream Act and hopefully CIR a seat at the table. Now a way must be found to allow both Democrats and Republicans to play to their base and yet fix the problem so that neither side views it as a way they can get hurt in 2012. That is not going to be easy. It is going to take the winning of the hearts and minds of voters in the Congressional and Senate districts to be able to have the means to apply pressure to resolve the issue sooner, rather than later. Both parties are afraid of the other gaining a “we got it done in spite of the other party” so the answer is to bring them to a “we got this done by working together” moment. Now is when the work must begin in earnest. I have been working with a group of Dreamers and they inspire me. We are doing what we can to find first a way to get our foot in the door, then a leg, until finally this broken system is reformed.
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Aurora

Yes, inspired. I believe it is his next fight after the health reform, and once the economy gets going again. He cannot take care of everything at once, and considering the items that have needed attention first, after the Bush regime, when Obama took over, the man is not God, but his intention is there and I believe he is for real and will address this. Soon. He cannot continue to allow the hate to grow. I think the shooting in Arizona woke many up to this fact. It will happen.
Ernesto

I think it’s all positive, thou I have a problem with the fact that (his speech_) it’s “pricing” human lives over others, in terms of giving a special and more important value to a recently graduated immigrant over one who does just a field labor.
I need to stress the fact that this is a racial problem, more than an immigration problem… you and I know that if we were white europeans immigrants we wouldn’t be the few millions of illegal immigrants … we would had the chance long time ago…
eric

false hopes again. He is the guy who promised to tackle immigration in the first year of the office but we had arizona and other states lined up to follow arizona. i think he represents the HOPE we canNOT believe in.
Ed

I am an American Born Citizen Married to an Undocumented Woman with a 2 year old son Born here. Without Comprehensive Immigration Reform, We Live On 1 Income. If she goes back, it could be up to 10 years for her to come back. Without the Latino Vote and Other Nations Involved That are not Latino, Both Parties will suffer in the future if families are split up.
Sorenk142

We have countless of universities that admit graduate, doctoral and Post-doctoral students from overseas. Most of these students are funded by the programs that accept them. And guess where these funding come from most of the time? Federal and governmental funds (tax payers money). If we (Americans) are funding these international students, should we rope them into contributing to the building of our nation? Give these students who have Masters and Phds from our universities a route that would lead to an American citizenship. Else, they would benefit from our varsity education system (free tuition, stiphons and etc), head back to their home countries and in the President’s words “compete” against us – the U.S.
It is very important that we encourage a proper route to gain legal immigration status for such individuals (specifically those with graduate degrees in the sciences). We need to retain them for our benefit.
JCEmpire

he just said it to fast just to get rid of of the subject or just in order not to make the hispanic community feel bad but he did not mean it. reading a news today about some students from India that are being deported I coeuld read the comments of all americans how much hate they have against the Hispanic , mostly with the mexican community
Marsha Lopez

Hopefull a little> But what about the thousands of peaple who have been forced to abandon thier families here in the states, we have been waiting for almost three years to get my husband back(six children here in the states) and me his wife.
elise

It makes sense what he said. I really hope both parties work together to come up with a solution. Deporting millions of people doesn’t make sense and bringing educated people when we already have them here, either. Please, work together and let’s bring our country back. Just like our ancestors came to this country without papers in order to pursue a dream, these people do too. Think big and we can make this nation the best nation in the world.

State of the Union: What’d you think?

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